Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took Canada’s case for tariff-free trade directly to an American business audience Thursday, using an appearance on CNBC as Ottawa faces a new phase of the trade war in which Washington is moving beyond tariffs to outright bans on some Canadian imports.
The appearance came two days after Canadian counter-tariffs took effect on $27.6 billion of US goods. Ottawa imposed rates of 15%, 25%, and 50% on products including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, plastics, and electronics, matching what the federal government says is $27.6 billion of Canadian exports hit by new 50% US duties.
Poilievre’s role in New York is political rather than diplomatic. His party said ahead of the trip that while he would meet representatives from the investment and business communities, his “main audience is the American people,” with appearances planned on major US business networks.
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“Canada’s biggest asset in the present trade dispute is the goodwill of Americans,” Poilievre said in a statement announcing the visit. “We must save Canadians money and jobs, by leveraging the goodwill of the American people for freer trade.”
President Donald Trump signed measures September 8 that will prohibit imports of certain Canadian dairy products, alcoholic beverages, and motor vehicle-related goods beginning September 29. Other affected Canadian goods remain subject to additional tariffs, while the White House is also changing the products covered by some existing duties.
Washington and Ottawa continue to give sharply different accounts of why their latest negotiations failed.
The Canadian government says it negotiated “intensively and in good faith” but rejected concessions it considered unfair, economically unsound, and damaging to Canadian interests.
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US Trade Representative Greer said the opposite from Washington. He accused Canada of walking away from a “near-final trade deal” that he said would have provided better treatment than the US offered any other trading partner. He characterized Canada’s subsequent retaliation as “senseless.”
Neither side has released the complete proposed agreement, leaving crucial parts of that dispute impossible to independently verify.
Poilievre also declined an opportunity to criticize Carney’s conduct in the negotiations while speaking on US television. Asked on whether he believed the prime minister had negotiated in good faith, after Trump administration officials including Howard Lutnick had accused Carney of doing otherwise, Poilievre replied, “I’m not gonna attack my prime minister on foreign soil.”
Poilievre Keeps Two Messages Running
Poilievre’s approach in the US contrasts with the pressure he is applying to Prime Minister Mark Carney domestically.
Prior to the CNBC appearance, Poilievre called on the government to disclose the full text of the rejected US proposal and publish estimates showing how Canada’s counter-tariffs would affect consumers and businesses.
That leaves the Conservative leader pursuing two tracks. Inside Canada, he is challenging the government’s handling and transparency of the negotiations. In the US, his stated mission is narrower, arguing against tariffs and appealing directly to Americans for freer trade.
CTV News reported that the New York trip was undertaken with the blessing of the Prime Minister’s Office, citing a senior Conservative source. According to the report, Poilievre had considered an earlier US trip but held off after the PMO indicated the timing would be unhelpful.
The economic exposure behind the political outreach remains substantial even after Canada increased trade with other markets. Canadian merchandise exports to the US fell 5.8% in 2025, but the US still absorbed 71.7% of Canada’s merchandise exports.
Canada’s merchandise trade surplus with the US was $81.6 billion, down from $101.3 billion a year earlier.
Canada’s labour market has also entered the latest escalation on weaker footing. Employment dropped by 41,700 positions in August, including a loss of 35,900 full-time jobs, while unemployment held at 6.4%. The report preceded the latest US tariffs and Canadian retaliation taking effect.
